Star Princess, Round-Trip Seattle, May 25-June 1

[ucfalli]

Love your review and photos. It's amazing how much things "defrost" in a couple of weeks. Will have to see emerald lake another time!

[ShipsandDipper]

If you were the farthest from the train, how did Chilkoot Charters did you from the ship to the train ie. walk, bus?

 

Was this their Bennett Scenic tour?

 

An employee (not our guide) picked us up by bus and drove us around to the other piers, then we got into our guide's bus and he drove us back to the train depot. So a little backtracking involved, but I think they wanted us all together to put us on the train car (and the guide probably wanted to see us all so he'd have an idea who to find in Fraser).

 

It was the Yukon Bus & Rail Tour with lunch.

[ShipsandDipper]

LOVE your latest update!! Your pictures are amazing!! We are doing a chilkoot tour as well, and you have me so excited for it...although I'll admit I'm a little bummed now we're going in August and wont have all the snow like you have in your pictures- it's beautiful!!!

 

Thanks so much for sharing with us, and keep it coming! :)

 

Thanks! My DH does get some great pictures. I'm sure it will be just as beautiful in August--and you still have all the fun of anticipation!

[ShipsandDipper]

Thanks for the review! We were on this cruise also - and in the Chilkoot bus that had to turn around before Emerald Lake because we had to get back to catch the train. :(

 

Oh, that's too bad. We had an intra-bus split going, with a lot of folks just wanting to turn around too because the wait was getting pretty long (and Solstice, for one, had an earlier departure time than Star Princess). But then the pilot car came. Your guide's decision to turn around was probably an easier one than our guide's, since you had to be on that train.

[ShipsandDipper]

Love your review and photos. It's amazing how much things "defrost" in a couple of weeks. Will have to see emerald lake another time!

 

Thanks! I really enjoyed your review, and it inspired me to go ahead and write this one.

[ShipsandDipper]

I am loving your review and great pictures.

We have used AlreadyThereTownCar for years. Small company -- but great service.

I don't like pier 91. HAL never has enough porters when you get off the ship. For HAL you have to stand in a special line and wait for a porter to become available. One time it took us 30 minutes to get a porter.

 

Already There showed how it earned the good reviews it's had on this board.

 

Interesting about debarkation. Ours went way, way smoother than embarkation, but we didn't have to wait for a porter.

[ShipsandDipper]

Day 5 - Glacier Bay

 

A very early morning -- up on deck around 5 a.m. to look for whales before the ship entered Glacier Bay. A lovely serene morning with water so smooth it looked like glass:

 

 

Sadly, even getting up that early we missed the sunrise.

 

We did in fact see some whales, from very very far away. There were several near shore, and it seemed like they were moving back and forth feeding.

 

Around 6 a.m., the Park Service dropped off several rangers who were on the ship while it was in the park. They set up an information table, did presentations, and provided commentary over the loudspeaker.

 

On a previous visit to Glacier Bay we saw a lot of wildlife, but this visit we saw only birds inside the park. Once we got close to the glaciers we started seeing ice in the water, which provided a convenient perch:

 

 

 

It was bone-chillingly cold in the front of the ship as we made our way toward the glaciers--a stiff, cold wind so strong that you could lean into it and be held up. My hat, gloves, vest, and windproof jacket with hood were quite, quite welcome! It was disappointing to find that the hot chocolate carts up on deck were for paid drinks only, even if you didn't want a shot or anything special in your hot chocolate.

 

The plan was to visit Margerie and Grand Pacific glaciers and then Johns Hopkins Glacier, but the ship ended up spending more time viewing Margerie/Grand Pacific and did not visit Johns Hopkins. There was a heck of a lot of ice in Johns Hopkins Inlet and I suspect that they felt it it wasn't safe to take the ship back there:

 

 

Margerie Glacier put on an impressive show of calving.

 

 

The Promenade Deck is a great place for viewing the glaciers -- not nearly so crowded as the top decks.

 

 

We also stopped for a few minutes before Lamplugh Glacier before heading back out of the park. After dropping off the rangers around 3 p.m., there was another humpback sighting, sort of in the same area that the whales had been in that morning. They were very active whales, breaching and breaching. Unfortunately they were pretty far away, but it was still exciting!

 

After leaving Glacier Bay, we retreated to the Thermal Suite, which was quite wonderful after having been anywhere from chilly to downright freezing for much of the day. Dinner in Capri again, with service that was neither too slow nor rushed. And as had become my habit (aided by the early awakening), I called it an early night.

[ShipsandDipper]

Another picture from Glacier Bay -- a sailboat came in close to Margerie Glacier as we were leaving:

 

[MrBreeze]

Thanks for posting ! Can't wait to go.

[pompeii]

We were on this sailing, too, and loved every minute of it! I love your photos and had to laugh at the mountain reflection one north of Skagway - I think my DH has the exact same picture. Probably everybody who did that excursion that day does; I took a couple of them myself. But I think yours is from the exact same spot as his!

 

We pretty much took the same excursions you did, too. We went with Allen Marine into Tracy Arm out of Juneau, did the bus/train in Skagway, and Island Wings seaplane to Misty Fjord in Skagway. For me, the Tracy Arm boat ride was the best, it was absolutely fantastic - and I think we even saw the same whale as you did! We couldn't get a photo of the tail like you did, but a fellow passenger did. We also saw some orcas and a minke whale that day.

[ShipsandDipper]

We were on this sailing, too, and loved every minute of it! I love your photos and had to laugh at the mountain reflection one north of Skagway - I think my DH has the exact same picture. Probably everybody who did that excursion that day does; I took a couple of them myself. But I think yours is from the exact same spot as his!

 

 

Probably, since there were quite a few people at that overlook!

[ShipsandDipper]

Day 6 - Ketchikan

 

Not quite so early a day this morning, as we didn't have to be anywhere until 7:45. Although it had rained quite a bit overnight, even here in rain-prone Ketchikan it was somewhat sunny, and the misty tendrils clinging to the hills were quite pretty.

 

 

We really wanted to do a floatplane trip here. We had contacted Island Wings based on all the reviews on CC, but Michelle was booked up. They offered to book us with a different pilot, who shares Island Wings' dock and office -- Randy, who formed Mountain Air Service just last year. We were a little disappointed, since Michelle gets such great reviews, but decided to book anyway.

 

We and the other four passengers for Randy's 8 a.m. flight were picked up by the ships' berth and were driven over to the dock (only a few minutes). I didn't realize that they pull floatplanes out of the water at night, but it makes sense to keep them in the best condition possible.

 

Here is Michelle's plane; Randy's is cut off at the right edge of the picture:

 

 

We liked Randy quite a bit. At first he might not have been as much at ease with his passengers as Michelle is reported to be, but he warmed up during the tour. It's only his second season in business for himself (Mountain Air Service was born just last year). He has lived in Ketchikan since he was 12, and you could tell how happy he is to be able to live there with his family and raise his two kids there. And he was very proud of his plane. As a passenger, I was happy to hear that he is quite dedicated to top-notch maintenance.

 

Randy and his plane:

 

 

Our flight paralleled Michelle's in part:

 

 

We landed on a lake in Misty Fjords National Monument, where there is a floating dock that lets you get out of the plane for a bit. It's not connected to land, so less chance of coming face-to-face with a hungry bear.

 

We didn't see wildlife except for some eagles, but there were absolutely breathtaking views:

 

 

There were headsets for each passenger so that we could hear the commentary and ask Randy questions (when he wasn't occupied with tricky little things like landings). All in all, we were quite pleased with the experience.

 

Coming back into Ketchikan, we could see that two other ships had arrived, for a total of four for the day. The floatplane dock was just behind the berth for the fourth ship, and our landing and taxiing provided some entertainment for passengers up on deck there.

 

Our port time was limited, with all aboard at noon, so DH and I ended up just wandering through town after the flight. DH got some packaged salmon and reindeer sausage from one of the local shops, and we got a box of assorted yummies (very, very yummy) at KetchiCandies. I found a cute winter hat at the Forget-Me-Not Sweater Shoppe. We also walked through Creek Street. Besides KetchiCandies, though, my principal goal was "Southeast Alaska's largest quilt shop," the Silver Thimble. Handily, this shop was a mere five-minute walk from the Star Princess' berth, since I needed just about every minute I had left until all-aboard. I may have bought a couple of things. And then a couple more things. I had enjoyed browsing but really been restrained at the other quilt shops, but here I found an absolutely gorgeous fabric, and a great pattern to use it in. Oh well. Meanwhile, DH occupied himself with a salmon sandwich at a nearby restaurant, so we were both happy.

 

The early-morning bit of sun had given way to clouds and a bit of rain, so after an unpleasant reminder of reality (the dentist calling my cell phone to confirm my appointment for the next Monday:() we sat on the Promenade deck for sailaway and saw several eagles off the port side. Then a lazy and quiet afternoon -- Thermal Suite, International Cafe, reading.

 

This was the second formal night, so we decided on HC for dinner, which turned out to be a huge stroke of luck. We chose the starboard side, and when we first arrived, we caught sight of some orcas. Then as we were finishing, we started seeing humpbacks. One, and another, and another -- about 20 or so in all, feeding and heading north as we were heading south. It was only as we saw the last couple of whales that the first officer came on the loudspeaker to point them out (he also mentioned that there were some on the port side too). Then, I happened to look down, and two Dall's porpoises came shooting out from under the ship! They turned and were gone almost instantly, so that was really a fortunate sighting. We moved toward the back of HC and stayed up there until it was almost dark, but didn't really see any other wildlife.

 

If you've been reading this review you can probably guess what comes next. Surprise, surprise, I called it an early evening. I'm sure glad that no one has asked about the shows on board, since I never actually got to one!

[zetalove08]

Great update! Your pictures are amazing, and how cool about seeing the whales from the HC!! That's in my list of things to do. We have always been traditional dining people, but this trip we are doing anytime dining, and I'm even thinking about doing a lot of meals in HC so we can have the views out the window at all time. :)

[ShipsandDipper]

Day 7 - Victoria

 

Today was mostly a lazy at-sea day, as we didn't get to Victoria until the evening. We did manage to get a workout in the gym in the morning, and spent some time in Skywalkers. Later in the day we walked around the Sun Deck and the Promenade Deck a few times. And we found out that in the Juan de Fuca Strait, we had pretty decent cell phone reception on the starboard side (closest to Washington state), so we were able to get checked in for our flight the next day and DH was able to upload some projects he had been working on.

 

In the afternoon we spent some time in the Piazza, getting some tea and snacks at the International Cafe. Here we saw the only Princess entertainment of the entire cruise--entertainers showed up as if out of nowhere and performed a short Beatles medley, then they were gone!

 

A last visit to the Thermal Suite, and then we opted for an early dinner in the HC so that we wouldn't feel rushed to get back from Victoria or have to find food in Victoria if we didn't want to. We finished dinner in time to be on the Sun Deck for the sail-in.

 

We arrived in Victoria on time (7 p.m.), but it took awhile for the ship to be cleared. A HAL ship was at the next pier, and they had to wait for Canadian Customs & Immigration to finish with us before getting to them, so they were delayed as well.

 

There were plenty of transport options to get from the pier to the city center, including shuttle, taxis, and pedicabs. We had been to Victoria before and opted to walk. We got a map from the helpful tourist information people at the pier (who are, appropriately I guess, dressed in Victorian outfits). It took about 20 minutes. We were able to do a bit of souvenir shopping before twilight (including Oreos, which someone had just told us were made with real sugar in Canada but not in the U.S.).

 

DH captured some nice twilight photos around the harbor.

 

 

 

We were standing in front of the Parliament building when it lit up. Maybe a bit silly, but this was one of my goals, since I remember the lighted buildings of Victoria being shown in the Canada film at EPCOT.

 

After we walked back to the pier, DH walked out on a jetty that is next to the docking area. There is a small lighthouse at the end.

 

 

He saw the Norwegian Jewel heading out.

 

 

I wasn't back on the ship until nearly 10, and DH was even later. So I was already up later than usual--but we still had to pack (we had self-debarkation, so we hadn't had to put our luggage in the hallway earlier). I tend to find that packing goes faster on the way home, because there aren't any decisions about what to bring; it all has to fit in somehow. We managed to squeeze everything in this time, since we hadn't bought too much this trip.

[ShipsandDipper]

Great update! Your pictures are amazing, and how cool about seeing the whales from the HC!! That's in my list of things to do. We have always been traditional dining people, but this trip we are doing anytime dining, and I'm even thinking about doing a lot of meals in HC so we can have the views out the window at all time. :)

 

It was nice not to be tied down to a set meal (either time or venue), but I do think that the dining room's dinner selections generally were better than the dinners in HC. If you like curry, my DH highly recommends any curry dish in the HC (and he tried one almost every time we were there).

[texanslovetotravel]

Thank you so much for posting this review and pictures! We board this ship in 3 weeks. Can't wait!

[outofcontrolcruiser]

Great Review!!!!

I don't sail until August 24th, but I now a have a list of helpful hints for our sailing. Many Thanks.....

[ebvacationer]

Thank you for your review and such helpful information! So wonderful for our August cruise!

[ShipsandDipper]

Day 8 - Return to Seattle

 

We arrived in Seattle on schedule. We had asked for an early self-help departure and were scheduled at 8:00 (Group C). The earliest group was A at 7:45. We met in Wheelhouse Bar as instructed. The best advice we got was from a crewmember who suggested going all the way into the lounge, as the exit door was on the other side. We were called a few minutes early.

 

Debarkation was way, way better than embarkation. We simply walked off the ship. Three Customs agents were in the hall, with only a couple of people in any line. We handed over our customs form and kept walking.

 

We had made arrangements with Seattle Qwik Tour to pick us up, so we called as directed. Charles (the owner) told us he would pick us up in about twenty minutes and there he was. Since we called before 8:30 a.m., as was promised he dropped us off at Pike Place Market with time to look around until 10:00 (that was the reason for asking for self-help departure, the earlier the better). DH, of course, got some more crab. We also got some cherries to take home.

 

At 10:00 the Seattle Qwik Tour minibus came back. After dropping us off, Charles had picked up quite a few more people, all from hotels I think. Some just wanted a tour of Seattle and one couple was doing a pre-cruise tour (they would be heading out on the Star that afternoon).

 

Charles turned us over to one of his guides. The premise of Seattle Qwik Tour is that there is a 90-minute tour, then they take you to the airport (or in the case of the pre-cruise people, to the cruise port). The hotel people were dropped off wherever they wanted (they chose to be dropped off at Ivan's restaurant for lunch).

 

The tour covered a lot of ground, with a couple of photo opportunities. For instance, we saw some of the floating houses.

 

 

Beware the troll! It has captured a real VW bug.

 

 

We also went to an overlook with a great view of the city.

 

 

The tour ended near Seattle Center, and Charles reappeared. The pre-cruise people were sent off to the cruise port in a towncar, and the hotel people dropped off at Ivan's. DH and I were the only post-cruise folks that were headed to the airport. Charles got us there just at 12:15, exactly as he had predicted. All in all, it was a good way to spend the morning; we didn't have to sit on the ship and then sit at the airport, and we were able to see a little of Seattle without worrying about our luggage.

 

The flight back to Denver was uneventful (this time our Frontier plane had Thunder the bison).

 

This was an enjoyable trip, a good chance to relax. The weather couldn't have been more lovely! We have sailed on the Star Princess before and it was nice to reacquaint ourselves with her and see the changes from drydock.

Now, we just have to wait until the next trip!

 

Thanks for reading all the way to the end!

[thecruisers723]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write your review and posting the fabulous pictures. I've just finished it and enjoyed it very much!

[cmego]

Great Review. Thank You!